(a) There is created the Georgia Child Care Council which shall consist of 20 members. Fourteen of those members shall be voting members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, and two shall be voting members appointed as provided in paragraph (11) of this subsection. The 16 voting members shall be appointed as follows:

(1) Two members shall be representatives of local or state chambers of commerce;

(2) One member shall be a representative of the licensed or commissioned for profit child care businesses in the state;

(3) One member shall be a representative of the licensed or commissioned not for profit child care businesses in the state;

(4) One member shall be a representative from a public Pre-K provider;

(5) Four members shall be consumers of child care services or persons whose children are regularly placed in child care but who have no other business connection with any child care facility or business and at least one of them shall represent the interests of children with special needs and one shall represent the interests of school age children;

(6) One member shall represent registered family day-care homes;

(7) One member shall represent licensed or commissioned church or synagogue child care learning centers;

(8) One member shall be an expert or have special academic or research responsibilities in early childhood development;

(9) One member shall represent a child care resource and referral agency;

(10) One member shall represent a Head Start organization; and

(11) Two members shall represent the general public and shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

At the expiration of the original three-year terms of office of members of the council, successors to such members shall be appointed as follows: seven of the members appointed by the Governor shall serve for initial terms of one year and seven of such Governor appointed members shall serve for initial terms of three years; thereafter all members appointed by the Governor shall serve for terms of three years. Successors to those members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate shall each serve for terms of three years. The remaining four nonvoting members shall be the State School Superintendent, the Commissioner of Labor, the commissioner of human services, and the commissioner of economic development, or the designee of the State School Superintendent, the Commissioner of Labor, the commissioner of human services, and the commissioner of economic development, all of whom shall be ex officio members.

(b) The ex officio members of the council shall serve while holding their state offices.

(c) Vacancies in the office of any appointive member of the council shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by appointment by the Governor in the same manner as the appointment to the position on the council which becomes vacant, and the appointment shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation at the next regular session of the General Assembly.

(d) The Governor may remove any appointive member of the council for failure to attend meetings, neglect of duty, or incompetence.

(e) Any appointive member of the council who, during such person's term of office, ceases to meet the qualifications for the original appointment or does not attend three or more successive meetings of the council shall forfeit such person's membership on the council.

(f) Each member of the council shall take an oath of office before the Governor that he or she will faithfully perform the duties of office.